Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Opening her eyes, Tarou just stared blankly for several seconds as her mind attempted to process everything that had happened earlier in the afternoon. Every muscle in her body felt like it had been wrung like a rag before being set out to dry near an air heater. Her entire body was suffused with a peculiar yet pleasant ache, and, though she normally never cared about such sentiments, she felt a strong compulsion to just continue sleeping in the embrace of the man who had run her ragged.

Unfortunately, while her schedule wasn't particularly busy, Tarou still had duties to perform as a member of the Test Administration. She couldn't just lay around all day, and, though she was doing her best to escape reality, her Pocket showed she had missed calls from the Test Director.

Tarou knew she was going to get chewed out the moment she returned to work, so, for the time being, she just continued to enjoy the moment while it lasted. After all, Vahn would be departing later in the day so this might very well be the last time she was able to experience his warmth...

Sensing the fluctuations of Tarou's aura, Vahn pulled her a little closer to him, startling her with his embrace. Then, after planting a kiss on the top of her head, he said, "You don't need to worry too much. Though our paths might diverge later today, that doesn't mean this is the last time they will intersect. After all, there is a very good chance we'll be allies in the future..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Tarou turned her face up at him, confusion visible in her hazy red eyes until he pulled out a certain six-winged badge. This caused her eyes to immediately come into focus, a potent frown marring her beautiful face as she sat up with a start and exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me you were a member of Wolhaiksong!? Damnit! Now I really want to fucking punch you...!"

Rising to a seated position himself, Vahn ignored the threat contained within Tarou's words, pulling her closer to him as he said, "I'm more of a friend than an actual member. This badge was entrusted to me by Princess Yuri after she learned about my status as an Irregular."

At this point, Tarou was absolutely certain that Vahn got a kick out of seeing her dumbfounded and at a loss for words. This gave her a 'really' strong urge to punch him, but, after hearing him refer to himself as an Irregular, all the energy drained from her body as she exhaled a tired sigh and said, "I hate you..." before leaning her head against his chest.

Selectively ignoring the insincere remark, Vahn hugged Tarou close to him, gently caressing her shoulder as he muttered, "Sorry. I didn't want to use my status as an Irregular to place you in a difficult position. Will you forgive me...?"

Rather than respond to Vahn's words, Tarou opted to lightly headbutt his chest without raising her face to look up at him. She wasn't quite sure how to describe her feelings at the present moment, but, knowing Vahn was the person rumored to possess the ability to actualize their dream, several different emotions welled up inside of her. The most notable of these emotions was frustration, but, coming in at a close second, she also felt an incredible sense of relief knowing she didn't just have a one-night stand with a Regular...

As that thought crossed her mind, Tarou extricated herself from Vahn's embrace before pulling out her private Pocket and saying, "Give me your contact information. I only have about three years left on my current contract. Once I wrap things up here, I'll travel up to the 77th Floor. I'm not going to try and force you into a relationship, but you better stop by and visit me at least once. I don't know if it's because you're an Irregular, but you're a real monster in bed. Unless you were just bullshitting me earlier, hit me up when you get the chance."

While ignoring the snickering revelations of the Law of Identity, Vahn smiled in response to Tarou as he pulled out his Pocket and sent her his contact information. He had enjoyed himself quite a bit so he had absolutely no qualms about rekindling things on the 77th Floor. Rather, his decision to sleep with her was largely to set a precedent for himself as he moved further up the Tower.

Though it was a little suspect, Vahn knew a lot of problems could be avoided if he took advantage of his more 'unique' skills and abilities. There were a number of beautiful and powerful women that had already taken an interest in him, so, rather than stress himself out by trying to dissuade them, it would make things a lot easier if he took the initiative. He had quite a bit of confidence in his ability to satisfy even Tier 5 beings, so, with Tier 5 seemingly representing the 'pinnacle' of the Tower, Vahn knew he was essentially 'unbeatable' in that regard.

With that in mind, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face when he saw how happy Tarou was to receive his contact information. She immediately took notice of this, a ruddy glow spreading across her face as she attempted to avert her eyes. Before she could, however, Vahn affectionately cupped the side her face, preventing her from looking away as he smoothly guided her back to the surface of the bed...

---

Having earned the qualifications to advance to the 12th Floor, it wasn't long before Vahn and Phae found themselves at the top of a that made the mountains below seem like small hills. It was easily several tens of kilometers in height, and, based on the vibrations coming from below, there was a tremendous amount of machinery on the interior.

Ignoring the hundred or so other Regulars that were eyeing them like exotic animals, Vahn allowed Phae to return to the Little Garden as he shifted his attention to the Ranker that was standing in the air. This time around, it was an exceptionally tall man, who, despite his sickly completion, appeared remarkably handsome with his intelligent features, glistening golden eyes, neatly styled white hair, and perfectly tailored clothes.

Having seen the man's figure on several name-brand products, Vahn already knew his name before he introduced himself. He was an Advanced Ranker known as Hong Haneul, one of the top 10% of all Rankers within the Tower. He had become famous during his climb up the Tower after spending several decades as both an Idol and the leader of a team sponsored by the Ari Family. This allowed him to eventually marry into the aforementioned family, invariably becoming an inspiration for all Regulars with similar aspirations.

With several Regulars recognizing who Haneul was, a number of excited murmurs could be heard as everyone promptly shifted their attention towards the white-haired man. In response, the man in question returned a practiced, highly photogenic, smile as he said, "Good morning, Regulars. Allow me to welcome you to the 12th Floor's 'Inverse Tower'. As many of you have undoubtedly noticed, I am Advanced Ranker Haneul. It is my privilege to serve as your Proctor for the duration of your stay on the 12th Floor."

Though he radiated an air of confidence that bordered on arrogance, each of Haneul's words and actions possessed an inordinate amount of charm. His voice had a magnetic quality to it, his tone possessing a smooth and velvety timbre that compelled people to listen closely whenever he was speaking. Even Vahn couldn't help feeling a little impressed, a thoughtful light flashing across his eyes as he wondered whether or not he should modify his voice to sound similar...

With all eyes focused on him, Haneul's smile became marginally more prominent as he went on to explain, "Your objective this time around is pretty straightforward. You need only reach the bottom of this Tower within the next thirty days. Unfortunately, only the first thirty people will be allowed to advance to the next Floor. Those who fail will be moved to a supplemental testing location near the base of the Tower. There, you will have six months to earn the qualifications to continue your climb before being forcibly ejected from the Inner Tower. Any questions?"

Without hesitating for a single moment, Vahn was the first to speak out in response to Haneul's words, asking, "Are there any rules against climbing to the bottom from outside the tower?"

Surprised by Vahn's question, an amused smile spread across Haneul's face as he answered, "The Inverse Tower is just under 53km in height. There are no rules prohibiting Regulars from trying to reach the bottom from the outside, but the exterior surface is perfectly flat. You will also be subject to the elements the moment you leave the field of Shinsu that is currently generating a breathable atmosphere. In other words, even if you had wings and could fly, you would suffocate or freeze to death long before you got anywhere near the bottom..."

Having heard what he needed to hear, Vahn nodded his head in understanding before surprising everyone by promptly leaping over the edge. Even Haneul's face morphed into one of confusion, but, after several seconds had passed, he simply shook his head before turning back to the rest of the Regulars, chuckling as he said, "There always has to be at least one fool in every group. I would suggest everyone else takes the stairs. Remember, only the first thirty people will be able to qualify. You can check the remaining amount on your Pocket. Good luck."

With that said, Haneul was about to teleport away to the control room so he could observe the Test in comfort. Before he could, however, a rather attractive Regular raised their hand, evoking a natural yet highly practiced smile as he inquired, "Is there something you'd like to ask me, young lady?"

Though a vigorous blush bloomed across her face the moment Hanseul addressed her, the young lady in question still managed to voice her concerns, placing her Pocket into Visible Mode as she said, "Director Haneul...I think there is a problem with the count..."

Noticing the girl's Pocket was displaying 28, Haneul found himself at a momentary loss for words as he habitually pulled up his personal Terminal. To his surprise, there were already two names listed in the category for passing Regulars. This further confused him, but, after pulling up their profiles, an amused chuckle escaped his throat when he noticed that one of them was the same man that had previously leaped over the edge...

---

Though freefalling 53km would normally take several minutes, at the very least, Vahn could easily reach hypersonic speeds so long as he enveloped his body in Shinsu. As a result, it only took him a few seconds to reach the ground, most of which was spent slowing down so he didn't impact the surface like a pile bunker dropped from orbit.

Fortunately, just reaching the ground seemed to be the only qualifier for passing the test, so, after releasing Phae from the Little Garden, they made their way into the interior of the Tower to find, of all things, a large owl wearing a green harness. It seemed rather surprised by their sudden intrusion, but, rather than show any hostility, it inquisitively cocked its head to the side, "Who-hoo are you~?" in a surprisingly feminine voice.

Realizing that the peculiar owl was actually one of the Test Administrators, Vahn did his best to restrain his urge to pet her head as he explained, "We're Regulars participating in the current Test. Director Haneul said there were no rules against descending from the outside, so we decided to take the most 'direct' route to the bottom."

Showing a remarkably human expression of surprise, the presumably female used the tips of her flight feathers like fingers as she quickly pulled up her Terminal and confirmed the veracity of his claim. This caused her eyes to widen even further, an incredulous glimmer visible in her pale-green irises as she asked, "Did you really just jump over the edge? You must have an astonishingly strong body. Very impressive."

Though he couldn't help but smile in response, Vahn waved his hand in a dismissive manner as he said, "It was nothing. Now, what do we need to do in order to advance to the next Floor? I haven't seen anything like a transfer array nearby."

Nodding her head in affirmation, the owl went on to explain, "The actual transfer array is located a few hundred kilometers from here. We generally transfer all the passing Regulars over near the end of the month. Since you are clearly in a hurry, however, I can submit a request for a Suspend Ship to come and pick you up? If you don't want to wait around, I can also get permission to show you the way. You are clearly very capable so I don't mind escorting the two of you. It never hurts to build a bit of positive rapport with the rising stars of the Tower."

Though he imagined she wouldn't feel the same way if she knew they were Irregulars, Vahn still nodded his head in affirmation of the amiable owl's words. The Law of Identity had revealed that she was actually a Scout belonging to the Royal Enforcement Division of Jahad's Army. Though her friendliness wasn't a facade, she was still a hardcore believer in the doctrine of the Jahad Empire. If it came to light they were Irregulars, she would not hesitate to try and kill them before they could become a threat to the Jahad Empire. This was a little disheartening, but, now that he knew there were such adorable creatures residing in the Tower, Vahn was looking forward to meeting other members of her species during his climb...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is a bully...','He should have done a backflip...','Vahn be like, "I will find you, and then I will pet you..."')

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